Too honest EA shocker!

YoungBlueEyes

This is a long post, but I'd like to hear your thoughts and possibly advice please.

Bit of background. Sis and I have had our house on the market for a wee while now, went on just before Easter. We had viewings, a couple of offers and a full AP offer. The full AP offer guy pulled out (his partner found somewhere she liked better cos they're looking for a rental). None of the others wanted to offer again when the EA rang them once we went back on the market.

A couple of weeks ago we had another couple view. I did the viewing (eek!) They made all the right noises and asked good questions. They offered £20k below asking, we said no. They offered £10k more, we said no. Now we're waiting for her to sort a mortgage out then come back with a 'best and final' offer (which sis and I have decided we'll accept).

Here's my issue. The EA rang me today with an update - that she's sent off her final bit of paperwork so mortgage appointment will be soon and she'll get back to us. She asked if there's been much interest or offers since it went back on the market, and the EA said......

"No, nothing at all, the viewings have dried up really. Well it has been on the market for months now, so, you know."

I exploded down the phone at her! "What the fack did you tell her that for??!! Couldn't you have said we're still doing viewings?!"
EA - "So you want me to lie..?"
Me - "No! Well yes actually!"
EA - "But then where does it end? We'd be completely untrustworthy and house buying is stressful enough as it is!"
ME - You're bl00dy right it is and you aren't helping!"
EA - "Just calm down, it'll work out, trust me"
Me - "If anybody asks again say something diplomatic like we'll remain on the market and available for any viewings until sis and I accept an offer".

Just typing all this now is making my heart race, Jeez I was so angry! I think it's basically given her cart blanche to come back with a low offer or not to go up at all.

I've got a friend to ask for an appointment to view (should be happening this week), so as far as EAs know we still have *ahem* interested parties.

I haven't formally complained, this was a phone call so nothing in writing. I'm torn between being angry that she's probably cost us a few thousand quid, and letting her do her job - getting our house sold by whatever means.

So do I complain? Is this beyond the beyonds? Or do I need to grow a thicker skin?

shortcrust

I spat out my tea at “But then where does it end?” I honestly don’t know what I’d do but I’d be incredibly unhappy.

For any Frasier fans, it reminds me of when he gets a Mormon agent.

Doozergirl

Estate Agents are there to close a deal. Your situation proves a point that I've made time and again. Estate Agents work for themselves.

They are paid to make a sale happen and they work in a much more straightforward way than people think.

The objective usually means getting the price you're willing to accept down and push the other people's up until a deal is achieved. They will have been pushing the other party up and may well not have even said that to them!

They're deliberately managing your expectations and telling you that you haven't had any interest while suggesting that the offer might be lower than you want.

If there haven't been other viewings then they're probably doing the right thing.

kinger101

The EA is terrible. But nothing is forcing you to accept the next offer. I'd put in a complaint to the managing partner, and ask them to handle all future negotiations. And also serve notice now so if you choose not to accept this offer, you can pick another EA who works for their client.

The truth is, the EA wanted their commission ASAP. I've seen it before. One told me I could know £10K off a price before he'd opened the door.

YoungBlueEyes

The Mormon agent

Thanks for the replies guys. Now my anger has passed I'm wondering if she is just doing her job. I've never sold a house before so this is all new and quite stressful so far.

We decided to take whatever their next offer is (before the honest EA episode...) because we both just want to move on now. It is priced sensibly so we didn't really want to move much below asking but the viewings/offers haven't worked out as the EA assured us it would (the same EA is a liar shocker!) so as long as it's proceedable we'll take their next offer and get moving on.

Unhappy and shocked, yes. But worthy of a formal complaint..? Bearing in mind I have no evidence if she denies it...

Edit: it occurred to me too that they're only after getting their commission asap. I'm such a cynic now that I read these boards all the time ha haa! I haggled them right down so they're doing plenty of work and waiting a long time for their money!

kinger101

She wasn't doing her job. A halfwit could have responded to the potential buyer's question better, with a bland empty statement. "There's been some interest, but the market has just been a bit slow with blahdy blah".

She was chasing an easy commission.

YoungBlueEyes

I think if someone started an "honest but diplomatic" EA they'd be set for life!

I'm tripping myself up through inexperience, thank god for these boards or I'd be lost entirely.

LittleMax

YoungBlueEyes wrote: »

I've got a friend to ask for an appointment to view (should be happening this week), so as far as EAs know we still have *ahem* interested parties.

Lucky the EA gave them an appointment.

When my friend sold her last house she was in a similar situation trying to get someone to increase their offer and instructed EA to leave the property on the market. EA told her there was no interest and recommended she remove it and accept the lower offer. Friend said no, leave it on the market.

Friend suspected the EA was not booking viewings so called up pretending to be a buyer. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when EA told my friend the property was under offer and no more viewings. This is Mrs Vendor I suggest you put me through to the Manager now!!!

moneyistooshorttomention

When I bought current house - the vendors EA told me "There's only been one viewing and that was a while ago". That was good to know:D. If they'd had more to them they might have guessed/found out there were a couple of locals "waiting in the wings" for the house to be on the market for some time - and then they were planning on putting in low offers. I'd already "locked the doors" and insisted no further viewings were allowed once my offer had been accepted - and they couldnt.

The reason for that EA telling me that - they're very lazy and complacent generally and I've found they barely want to "lift a finger" here to earn their money (and I could see this clearly - knowing what I'm used to EAs being like).

My own EA (selling my starter house elsewhere in the country) duly did put quite a bit of effort in - quite a few viewers/following them up to see what they thought/working out a way through a couple of "snags"/telling me to refuse an offer that was too low/conducting a "bidding war" when two buyers were interested at once eventually.

So - not all EAs are lazy - but yep...some are.

Probably depends what "standards" the area as a whole expects as the norm from tradespeople/firms. Also how far-sighted the EAs are - now I'd picked an eager/up-and-coming young firm and they got their reward (I noticed their board appearing up outside a noticeable number of nearby houses after mine had been sold).

Surrey_EA

In fairness, in this particular example the EA was fairly transparent!

An EA is not there to act in the best interests of both buyer and seller, they are specifically employed by the seller to achieve the highest price possible.

I think you mean the seller wishes to sell for more and the buyer wishes to buy for less. The trick is to find the middle ground that both parties are prepared to occupy.

westernpromise

The correct answer to this buyer was to say that the vendors are not showing the property at the moment because they are in discussions with her. If that changes viewings will resume. If the EA really did say viewings have dried up and it's been on the market for months, then she's acting against the vendors' interests and is a complete idiot.